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Showing posts from December, 2013

All is calm

Santa...frazzled and frizzed   I love this little frayed and frazzled Santa.  He perfectly depicts how we are feeling right about now, on this Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve.  (Remember Thanksgiving Eve, Eve?)  The 12 days of Christmas are ticking off and like the White Rabbit, we are late, late for a very important date; all is definitely not calm. My list of “to-be-done” is getting checked off, my shopping is finished and things are wrapped, but oh, what about…and then I add another note to self, while I hear the words “…all is calm, all is bright…” playing in the background.  Ah, dude, burl, whatever you want to say, being calm now needs to be added to the to-dos! Here’s an idea; could it be that the only thing we really need to accomplish is being calm?  We have recently taken to the idea of “peaceful stress.”  There are many things scrambling for our attention – the stress; but how we acknowledge the clamoring – that’s the peaceful.  This is not a simple task.  It takes a co

Living in italics

Hey, look at me!  Pay attention, see me!  That’s really what the little word, “italics” is saying.  We use it for emphasis, to highlight an idea, thought or title – like a book’s name. What would our lives look like if we lived them in an italicized form?  What type of show-stopping headliners would our souls present on the marquee of life’s theater? For some the story would be a very sad tragedy that brings others to tears, but requires no action – just sobs.  Other sagas would resemble Barnum and Bailey’s Circus or an episode of the Three Stooges.  People would be belly laughing, but that is the extent of the impact.   i.tal.ics Contemplate the narrative of ordinary times; living, laughing, caring, being touched by the good, the not so good and the just plain ugly.  This book of being has it all – adventure, romance and tragedy.  What is the difference with this biography?  It includes action and response.  Advent is a time to watch with great anticipation – emph

Unpacking thoughts...and ornaments

Collection of Vintage Ornaments Oh, noblest of trees you sit as yet unadorned, save the pretty faceted white lights  nestled in your branches My confession:  our tree has been up for a couple of days, but only has lights … and just got moved from one spot to another.  I was having a hard time deciding where it should reside for the next few weeks.  With that task settled, the little Noble desperately needs ornaments hanging from its bushy, fragrantly green branches. Down in the basement, Christmas tubs have been opened and pawed through for the pre-tree decorating, you know angels, Santas and my Grandma’s nativity set.  However, the ornament boxes were yet untouched, until this morning. As I opened each box I thought about my collection of ornaments, the story behind each; where they came from and when, as well as where they are placed in the tree.  On our first Christmas together, Lonny and I received a little glass bird.  This tiny bird is always placed high in our

Oh Christmas Tree

Since it is now officially December – Christmas month – I can begin to think all things Christmas! Yesterday, was Boxing Day of a different nature, meaning the packing up of the brown, ginger and golden fall décor; including dumping the uncarved pumpkins into the yard debris bin for composting.  Christmas music now plays in my house, except when I need a little Joss Stone, John Mayer or even Led Zeppelin to clear my muddled thinking. Our house isn’t decked and adorned…yet, but my heart is ready to celebrate the Advent Season…watching and waiting for the arrival. Man vs Tree While watching, I’m seeing snippets to tuck away.  A just right instance happened Sunday evening while taking Isabella for a walk.  It was almost dark and there was sea must in the air. Heading down the sidewalk we saw a family walking in front of us; nothing terribly unusual about that, except that they had an enormous, bushy Christmas tree tied to a Red Flyer Wagon.  We chatted with them at the st